Reskinned Dwarven Giantslayer AP

Game Master Shadow_Fox

"Let's keep going to the middle of the keep." Stigmar suggests, indicating the western doors.

"Yep," agrees Moira, as she quickly checks for anything useful on the giants. Mainly looking for potions/consumables, don't want the weapons or armor.

Uldruk is about to say something, but Stigmar states out loud just what he was thinking.

The party moves west through the doors. A huge square iron cage fills most of this circular chamber, with several crates, chests, statues, paintings, and other art objects crammed between the cage and the walls of the room. Inside the cage, a large piece of furniture sits under a cloth drapery of some sort. The cage has no doors, but you do see a thick chain attached to a pulley near the doors that you think may raise the cage if enough strength is applied.

You sense movement in the cage and suddenly two creatures, a male and female, appear from the back of the cage. Each creature has a vaguely humanoid head, the body of a lion, the wings of a dragon, and its tail ends in long, sharp spikes. Both of the creature's wings have been clipped. The male creature speaks first, "Kind dwarves, please free us. We are the prisoners of an evil giant who starves and mistreats us. Please save us from this mistreatment."

Cage Room Map

Knowledge Arcana trained checks allowed to identify the creatures.

"Yep," agrees Moira, as she quickly checks for anything useful on the giants. Mainly looking for potions/consumables, don't want the weapons or armor.

None found.

Uldruck asks for a second to check Moira's wounds, and offers to do the same with whoever seems wounded as well.

Treat Deadly Wounds (Full Round Action): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36 That's 36 damage healed, Moira.

When they find the cage, he looks at the pair with suspicion.

Kn Arcana: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Knowledge arcana: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

Stigmar looks over the creatures in the cage. "Wings are clipped, could be the giants don't want them flying away." he murmurs to his companions.

"Thanks, Uldruk," says Moira with genuine gratitude as she is healed.

Sense Motive to detect lies: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15. Entering the cage room, Moira is certainly fearful of releasing these monstrous creatures, and does not immediately trust them, even if she can't really tell if they're lying or not. "Enemy of my enemy is my friend, I guess--but not sure I've seen somethin' quite like it."

She looks for signs as to whether they really are starved and mistreated. Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15 +2 if lighting is dim/dark

The creature is a manticore. It has scent and darkvision. Its normal attack routine is claws and bite. It can also throw a volley of spikes from its tail. They are known to be lawful evil.

Moira can tell the creatures are bring truthful about their mistreatment. However, the phrase "kind dwarves" did roll off their tongues with some disdain.

Rhen looks at his fellow dwarves. "Well, do we trust these lion-folk?"

Moira gathers close with the others so their conversation can't be easily overheard. "Trust? No way. But maybe we can make a deal. We need to know where our hammer is and where dwarves are being kept. Can't imagine these manticores being friendly to the giants that have trapped them."

Stigmar agrees. "Information for freedom seems like a good deal for them. We should also see if they know what the giants and orcs are up to."

"Freedom in exchange for info and non-aggression pact. I'm ok with it" Uldruk agrees. He knows, though, that he's not the one to cause the best first impression, so he expects any other to strike the deal.

I just realized that with a +3 bonus, Moira is the most diplomatic in this party. Go team dwarf! :P

Moira wasn't sure who among them was particularly good at making a first impression, but decides that having a woman make the suggestion might be better somehow. She turns and looks to the manticores.

"Alright flying lions. Promise ya won't attack us, and tell us what them orcs and giants are up to and what they've done with our dwarf brothers and their things. In return, we let ya go. Deal?"
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Moira speaks plainly, but perhaps the manticores prefer that.